Skin diseases, like leprosy were very common and contagious in biblical times and sometimes fatal. This led to the instruction in today’s first reading from the Book of Leviticus: “The person who bears the sore of leprosy shall keep his garments rent and his head bare and shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean… He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp”(Lev 13:45-46). This is the situation of the leper who Jesus encounters in today’s gospel. The most beautiful part of this story is not that Jesus cured the man of his leprosy, but that he healed the Leper’s spirit when He, “stretched out his hand and touched him”. Human touch is at the heart of this story.

It may have been years, even decades, since someone had physically touched this leper. The isolation and human deprivation he experienced must have been worse than the leprosy itself. Imagine what life would be like if no one wanted to come near you, if there was no one to care for you, to hug you, or to hold you when you were sick or lonely. That was what life was like for this leper. He had no warm or affirming relationships in his life. Like all of us, he longed to be touched and embraced by another human being.

There is no denying that our sense of touch connects us with the world and the people around us in an intimate and healthy way. Imagine how human and alive this leper suddenly felt after Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. It was as if Jesus was saying to him, ‘You are a human being’.

This gospel invites us to reflect on the manner in which we use our sense of touch. As we all know, there are touches that harm and hurt others. A few examples are students jumping one another at school and getting into fist fighting or cases of domestic abuse that inflict pain on women and children. How I wish I could say that these things don’t happen here in our beloved city of White Plains, but they do.

Then there are those touches that heal and build us up…the touch of a loved one, whether it is a hug, an arm around the shoulder, a gentle kiss, or a good pat on the back. There is great power behind this gestures- the power of love, concern, sympathy, and compassion. The power of God

Although leprosy is not a common disease today, the mental and emotional deprivation that accompanied leprosy are still very much with us. There are single people who don’t have close relationships with anyone, there are some married people, who may have drifted away from their spouse and find themselves starved for love and affection. They live in an emotional desert.

One of the greatest blessings about being a young child is that you are often, held, cradled, hugged and kissed. This plays a crucial role in our human development and growth. However, one of the more difficult things we face as we grow older and age is the loss of being touched. As you move through life and lose parents, a spouse, family member, and friends, who will touch you? Hopefully someone.

We can all stretch out our hands and arms with compassion and touch someone’s life in deeper, more honest, and enriching ways. This is what the Lord challenges us to do when he reached out and touched the leper in today’s gospel. May we all reach more deeply inside ourselves, and touch others from that place where the Lord dwells. There are no untouchables with God. Everybody can be touched.

- Fr. Morris